Mesosphere
/ˈmɛz.ə.sfɪər/noun
The layer of Earth’s atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere.
Did you know?Its name comes from Greek meso- (“middle”), the same ancient root behind words like meson and mesoderm, showing how scientists kept using classical language to map the heavens.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mésos (μέσος)
“middle, in the middle”
Modern scientific Latin
Latin
meso-
“combining form meaning middle”
19th Century
English
mesosphere
“a middle sphere or layer”
20th Century
English
mesosphere
“the atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and thermosphere”